JAMES FITZMAURICE FITZGERALD.

"Declaration of James FitzMorrice FitzGerald to the Prelates, Princes, Lords, and people of Ireland when he entered into rebellion in anno 1569." [This title is in Carew's hand.]

"Our holy father, Pope Gregory the XIII., Christ's vicar on earth, perceiving what dishonour to God and his Saints, what destruction to Christian souls in Ireland and England, what sedition, tumult, spoil, and murder hath fallen to Scotland, France, and Flanders by the procurement of Elizabeth, the pretensed Queen of England; perceiving also that neither the warning of other Catholic princes and good Christians, nor the sentence of Pope Pius the V., his predecessor, nor the long sufferance of God, could cause her to forsake her schism, heresy, and wicked attempts; as he now purposeth (not without the consent of other Catholic potestates) to deprive her actually of the unjust possession of these kingdoms, which she useth for the chief instruments of her impieties; so he first of all attempteth her said actual deprivation by the means of our dear country, wherein he doth us more honour and favour than easily can be expressed in words. For whereas he understandeth that other great princes wait for a due time and good occasion to revenge the manifold injuries which they have received by the sail Elizabeth, he, like a good father, knowing that commonly the commons do bear the pain which is due for the prince's fault, hath taken the correction of these misorders into his own hands."

"If we ourselves list not to hinder one another, but do agree and join together (as he trusteth we will and indeed we ought to do), it is certain that there is no power in this realm able to withstand our forces. And whereas some men may fear lest greater power than ours is might be sent against us out of England, first they ought to consider that we fight not against the crown of England, but only against the usurper thereof; and in this behalf we doubt not but a great and that the better part of England will rather help forward our good intent than by any means hinder the same; for what wise and worthy Englishman will gladly spend his blood and hazard his house and posterity for her sake whom he knoweth to love all Englishmen [so] evil, that she, being set in that high throne chiefly for their weal and preservation, yet had rather see them all dead, yea one of them in civil wars murdered of the other, and consequently her whole country destroyed, whilst the princes and commons thereof fight for the crown after her death, than once to see her own security never so little touched by publishing the heir apparent to the Royal Crown?

"Again, is not the most part of England desirous to enjoy the Catholic faith? Doth not the martyrdom of many, the prisonment of others, the voluntary exile of more, and the due commotions of whole states and shires, declare and witness the same? How then can they, being Catholics, fight heartily against us who seek nothing so principally as the restitution of the Catholic faith?

"If others were not Catholics in England (as they are), yet all the chief and strongest of the Northern quarters, as well of Wales as of Chestershire, Lancastershire, and Cumberland, which are next to us, are so Catholic, that they long for nothing more than to see the sacraments of Christ restored again in their country. If then our neighbours be Catholic, and therefore our friends, surely they that are farther off can neither easily nor shortly pass over unto us.

"But whensoever and whencesoever they shall pass, assure yourselves that the pretensed Queen can make no great army out of any part of England, but the greatest number of them must be husbandmen, which commonly are all Catholics, and they will never fight against the Cross of Christ erected and set up by his Vicar, under whose banner we fight; yea Elizabeth herself, knowing how evil she is beloved in England of them that love Christ's faith or the peace of their country, knowing also how evil she hath deserved of her neighbours, our dear brethren, the nobility of Scotland, whose castles, palaces, manors, and towns she hath so cruelly, without any fault of theirs towards her, burnt and overthrown, dareth not send out of England many of her dearest friends (if at the least she hath many such), lest she fortune to stand in greater need of them at home. If none of all which things do come to pass, yet I doubt not but we shall shortly see the said pretensed Queen so fully set occupied by foreign powers, that then had she at home never so many friends, she should have small leisure to send them forth against us; for as she hath offended all Catholic princes, so must she look to be requited according to the measure which she hath dealt to them.

"Therefore, seeing the powers of France, Italy, and Spain are much greater than those of England, reason would we rather fear the stronger powers which are against Elizabeth, than the weaker which may seem to stand for her, if there be any such at all.

"But if we will needs fear the English powers and none else, let us yet fear them that are to do us and our posterity most hurt, for seeing, whosoever be the heir apparent to the crown of England, he cannot but think himself injured by Elizabeth for stopping and under great penalties forbidding the due publishing of his title and right, the said heir and his whole powers (which never can be small) will rather love them that endeavour to dispossess Elizabeth, and hate them that fight for her, than otherwise; for naturally all men are inclined to love and reward them by whose industries they come the sooner to their preferment, and contrarywise to hate them who when the occasion of their preferment seemed to be at hand were the causers of prolonging and delaying the same.

"And what wise man had not rather gratify a younger prince that is toward the crown, and like to leave behind him a lawful heir of his own body, of whom he may justly expect reward, than such a one as is spent in years and worn with diseases, who also leaveth no lawful heir behind her either to reward her friends or to revenge her enemies."

"May it please my good Lords the princes, leaders, and rulers of this our dear country to meet together with me in some convenient place, where order may be taken in common for the common good and wealth of this noble Ireland; for although, because I alone was present with his Holiness (and your Honours not only absent but also within the danger of the said Elizabeth's power), I was only named as general captain in this holy war, yet it both was and is my meaning to be advertised and counselled by your Honours and Lordships." I therefore "request your Honours to come with all speed possible, or to send your lawful attorneys to the place where I am, to the end we may there make a strong and perpetual peace, league, and friendship, first, to the utter destroying of all schism and heresy, and next to the stablishing of true love and amity amongst ourselves, whereof the perpetual wealth of our dear country is like to ensue."

"His Holiness and such other potestates as in this behalf join with his Holiness will reward every man with honour, goods, and inheritance, according to the areadiness which he shall shew in furthering this holy cause.

"This one thing I will say, which I wish to be imprinted in all our hearts, if all we that in deed are of a good mind would openly and speedily profess our faith by resorting to his Holiness' banner and by commanding all your people and countries to keep no other but the Catholic faith, and forthwith to expel all false teachers and schis matical service, you should not only deliver your country from heresy and tyranny, but also do that most godly and noble act without any danger at all."

"In omni tribulatione spes mea Jesus et Maria.

"James Geraldyne."

II "The Excommunication of Queen Elizabeth by Pope Pius Quintus in anno 1569."

Contemp. copies.